Cinematic Quests for Identity

The Hero's Encounter with the Beast

Maria Garcia

Whether embodied in literature, theater, or film, an enduring theme of many artistic works has been the protagonist’s search for identity. Such quests are typically psychological or spiritual journeys and depicted on the screen in a variety of manifestations—endeavors embarked upon to address an emotional trauma or to overcome an obstacle in the hero’s life. Using Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête as a leitmotif, these pursuits are discussed by author Maria Garcia as encounters with the “Beast.” At the end of their quests, heroes are reborn into their new identities, while the Beast disappears, transforms, or dies.

In Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero’s Encounter with the Beast, Garcia examines the cinematic conventions of the male and female search for individuation across several genres. After discussing La Belle et La Bête, the author looks at a number of films including three iconic male journeys—The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Searchers, and The Deer Hunter. Additional chapters focus on The Silence of the Lambs, Bringing Up Baby, The Lady Eve, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Natural, and Moneyball. The book concludes with a consideration of the three fairy tale films by Catherine Breillat—Fat Girl, Bluebeard, and The Sleeping Beauty—and the female characters in several Robert Bresson films, including The Trial of Joan of Arc.

Providing a unique and original perspective on films throughout the world, this provocative book draws upon Jungian thought, as well as several literary traditions including fairy tales, epic poetry, and Greek and Celtic mythology. Aimed at scholars of film and film theory, Cinematic Quests for Identity will also appeal to movie fans interested in a deeper understanding of films that explore a character’s struggle to live a conscious life.« lessmore »

Maria Garcia is a film critic, feature writer, and an adjunct lecturer in the English Department at CUNY Baruch College. Her reviews and filmmaker interviews appear regularly in Cineaste and Film Journal International.

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction 1. Framing the Beast of Individuation2. A Woman’s Beast: The Silence of the Lambs3. The Male Quest: When the Hero Doesn’t Get “The Girl”4. Love Affairs with the Beast: Two Women of Screwball Comedy5. The Beast of the Diamond6. The Child’s Quest: A First Glimpse of Mortality7. Catherine Breillat and the Fairy Tale Quest as “Passage”8. Robert Bresson and the Feminine Face of GodFilmographyBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

No stranger to the world of film, Maria Garcia opens Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero's Encounter with the Beast with the hefty promise of broadening the definition and the reader’s understanding of 'the quest' movie genre. Through her analysis of more than 15 films. . . .Garcia delivers on her promise. . . .[The author] approaches the tried-and-true theme of the hero in an innovative way. . . .This focused analysis is highly recommended for anyone looking to delve deeper into the world of film and the psychology behind the internal struggles of our movies’ heroes.— Ambassador Magazine

Maria Garcia . . . offers a provocative contribution to the male-dominated field of film theory. . . .Garcia's astute analysis and reformulation of feminist film theory . . . is thought-provoking and illuminating. . . .[This] book . . . should be recognized as an important contribution to feminist film theory. . . .Garcia succeeds in her reframing of the cinematic quest for identity as the lifelong expansion of consciousness and the ability of the personality to reflect the total self.— Cineaste

Bluebeard and the Feminine Quest: A Lesson Plan (Appropriate for Film, Literature into Film, and Literature Classes) by Maria Garcia, Author, Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero’s Encounter with the Beast

Goals:By the end of this lesson, students will be able to articulate: (1) the role of the Beast in the femalequest for identity; (2) the influence of Charles Perrault’s fairy tale “Bluebeard” on works of art inother genres; (3) two ways in which the morals at the end of the fairy tale are articulated inAngela Carter’s short story, “The Bloody Chamber” and in Catherine Breillat’s film, “BarbeBleue” (“Bluebeard,” 2009); and (4) the role fairy tales play in the formation of feminineidentity.

Method:Charles Perrault’s “Bluebeard”Assignment: Read Christopher Betts’s introduction to The Complete Fairy Tales and the“Bluebeard” fairy tale.Class Discussion: Begin with the hallmarks of the fairy tale genre, and its historical andcontemporary significance, as discussed in Betts’s introduction. How is “Bluebeard” a cautionarytale for women in patriarchal societies? A quest story? How and why do stories about bestial menresonate for modern readers, both men and women?Writing Assignment: Write a 500-600 word paper (one scholarly source) on any of the followingtopics: (1) the fairy tale genre and its origins, and how “Bluebeard” exemplifies it; (2)“Bluebeard” as a contemporary cautionary tale; (3) curiosity as an heroic trait.

Angela Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber”Assignment: Read Angela Carter’s short story, “The Bloody Chamber.”Class Discussion: In what ways does Carter draw directly from the “Bluebeard” fairy tale and inwhat ways does she depart from it? (Voice is the first obvious answer, the fairy tale’s thirdperson and Carter’s first person.) How is the actual journey in the story emblematic of all queststories? Why does Carter think the Beast, in this case the “groom,” is necessary for the girl’sself-actualization?Writing Assignment: Write a précis. Write an 800-word paper (2-3 scholarly sources) on any ofthe following topics: (1) Carter’s use of foreshadowing and its significance to the quest; (2)Carter’s feminist vision of the quest; (3) Carter’s use of symbols, such as the necklace, and thecolor red, and their significance to the archetypal dimensions of the story; (4) the shedding ofblood in all quest stories.

Catherine Breillat’s “Bluebeard”Assignment: After a class screening of the film, write a two paragraph description of“Bluebeard,” noting characters, setting, point-of-view, plot and theme. (If possible, this should be an in-class assignment so that first reactions to the movie may be compared to later opinionsexpressed in a longer paper.)Class discussion: Why does Breillat recount the Bluebeard fairy tale from the point of view oftwo sisters in contemporary times, as well as in an historical setting? What is Marie-Catherine’squest? What leitmotifs are apparent throughout the film? How do they inform our understandingof the story?Writing Assignment: Write a 1000-word paper (3-4 sources) on any of the following topics: (1)The use of foreshadowing in “The Bloody Chamber” and in Breillat’s film; (2) Choose aleitmotif in the film, an object, a color, etc., and discuss its significance in Marie-Catherine’squest; (3) the girl hero as archetypal hero; (4) Contemplating all three sources, speculate on therole of fairy tales in the formation of feminine identity.

Teaching Notes:On Availability of texts: Both Christopher Betts’s translation of Perrault and Angela Carter’sshort story collection are in paperback. Breillat’s film (in French with English subtitles) isavailable on Region 1 DVD and streaming. College libraries may have Carter, but Betts’stranslation of Perrault is harder to find; both are in paperback. Electronic versions of the latter donot always have the wonderful Gustave Doré drawings that appear in this edition, which may bethe basis of class discussions, as the artist has influenced the production design of films based onfairy tales.On Perrault: American students are generally not familiar with this author’s collection of fairytales, and Betts’s translation is not only excellent, his introduction is a scholarly essay.On curiosity: At the start of this lesson, students are most interested in the issue of whether or not“too much” curiosity can lead to danger, the result of one of the morals that appears after CharlesPerrault’s “Bluebeard” fairy tale. It is at this point that the instructor might ask students todescribe some new path they have forged recently, which is causing them anxiety—a new courseof study, living on campus, making friends with people who are exposing them to newexperiences, or taking their first trip abroad. (All of these are driven by the need to experienceand to know.) It is always surprising to me the extent of class discussion necessary beforestudents can view the bride in “Bluebeard” as anything other than greedy or foolish. Untilstudents read Angela Carter’s story, it is difficult for them to fathom the bride as engaged in aquest for identity. Only upon completion of this lesson may there be an understanding of theheroic personality, the intense desire to know—the excess curiosity warning implicit in“Bluebeard”—as the first step toward consciousness and meaning.On male bestiality: Since the Beast, the transformative figure in the hero’s life, is almost alwaysa male in feminine quest stories, and Carter and Breillat present a feminist perspective to theencounter with the Beast, it is important to emphasize that in Perrault, Carter and Breillat, theBeast is a psychopath, a serial murderer, the most extreme form of male bestiality. As fairy tales,all are cautionary tales for girls and women, and so this exaggeration is almost a narrativeimperative. Upon the first reading of the fairy tale, it is necessary to present a clear definition ofpatriarchy (in Cinematic Quests for Identity, see page 3 of the “Introduction” for one from GerdaLerner), and to discuss the vulnerability of women in patriarchal societies. This will deflect themost literal interpretation of feminist texts, that men alone are to blame for women’s subjugation;it will also broaden students’ understanding of the implications for women of a Darwinianworldview. (See page 3 of “Introduction.”)On the approach in film and literature classes: In my film classes, I generally reverse the orderof this lesson plan, and begin with Breillat’s “Bluebeard,” sending my students to Perrault nextand then to Carter. Although Carter’s short story may seem outside the realm of a film class, itsequally feminist perspective and its rich tapestry of symbols make it an excellent source fordiscussing cinematic leitmotifs. Also, since it is another adaptation of the fairy tale, it may beused as a primary source in student papers. In literature into film classes, instructors should teachto their strengths; the lesson can be taught as it appears here, or as I use it in film classes.Generally, the order as it appears here is better for undergrads.

Cinematic Quests for Identity

The Hero's Encounter with the Beast

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Summary

Whether embodied in literature, theater, or film, an enduring theme of many artistic works has been the protagonist’s search for identity. Such quests are typically psychological or spiritual journeys and depicted on the screen in a variety of manifestations—endeavors embarked upon to address an emotional trauma or to overcome an obstacle in the hero’s life. Using Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête as a leitmotif, these pursuits are discussed by author Maria Garcia as encounters with the “Beast.” At the end of their quests, heroes are reborn into their new identities, while the Beast disappears, transforms, or dies.

In Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero’s Encounter with the Beast, Garcia examines the cinematic conventions of the male and female search for individuation across several genres. After discussing La Belle et La Bête, the author looks at a number of films including three iconic male journeys—The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Searchers, and The Deer Hunter. Additional chapters focus on The Silence of the Lambs, Bringing Up Baby, The Lady Eve, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Natural, and Moneyball. The book concludes with a consideration of the three fairy tale films by Catherine Breillat—Fat Girl, Bluebeard, and The Sleeping Beauty—and the female characters in several Robert Bresson films, including The Trial of Joan of Arc.

Providing a unique and original perspective on films throughout the world, this provocative book draws upon Jungian thought, as well as several literary traditions including fairy tales, epic poetry, and Greek and Celtic mythology. Aimed at scholars of film and film theory, Cinematic Quests for Identity will also appeal to movie fans interested in a deeper understanding of films that explore a character’s struggle to live a conscious life.

Maria Garcia is a film critic, feature writer, and an adjunct lecturer in the English Department at CUNY Baruch College. Her reviews and filmmaker interviews appear regularly in Cineaste and Film Journal International.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction 1. Framing the Beast of Individuation2. A Woman’s Beast: The Silence of the Lambs3. The Male Quest: When the Hero Doesn’t Get “The Girl”4. Love Affairs with the Beast: Two Women of Screwball Comedy5. The Beast of the Diamond6. The Child’s Quest: A First Glimpse of Mortality7. Catherine Breillat and the Fairy Tale Quest as “Passage”8. Robert Bresson and the Feminine Face of GodFilmographyBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

Reviews

Reviews

No stranger to the world of film, Maria Garcia opens Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero's Encounter with the Beast with the hefty promise of broadening the definition and the reader’s understanding of 'the quest' movie genre. Through her analysis of more than 15 films. . . .Garcia delivers on her promise. . . .[The author] approaches the tried-and-true theme of the hero in an innovative way. . . .This focused analysis is highly recommended for anyone looking to delve deeper into the world of film and the psychology behind the internal struggles of our movies’ heroes.— Ambassador Magazine

Maria Garcia . . . offers a provocative contribution to the male-dominated field of film theory. . . .Garcia's astute analysis and reformulation of feminist film theory . . . is thought-provoking and illuminating. . . .[This] book . . . should be recognized as an important contribution to feminist film theory. . . .Garcia succeeds in her reframing of the cinematic quest for identity as the lifelong expansion of consciousness and the ability of the personality to reflect the total self.— Cineaste

Features

Features

Bluebeard and the Feminine Quest: A Lesson Plan (Appropriate for Film, Literature into Film, and Literature Classes) by Maria Garcia, Author, Cinematic Quests for Identity: The Hero’s Encounter with the Beast

Goals:By the end of this lesson, students will be able to articulate: (1) the role of the Beast in the femalequest for identity; (2) the influence of Charles Perrault’s fairy tale “Bluebeard” on works of art inother genres; (3) two ways in which the morals at the end of the fairy tale are articulated inAngela Carter’s short story, “The Bloody Chamber” and in Catherine Breillat’s film, “BarbeBleue” (“Bluebeard,” 2009); and (4) the role fairy tales play in the formation of feminineidentity.

Method:Charles Perrault’s “Bluebeard”Assignment: Read Christopher Betts’s introduction to The Complete Fairy Tales and the“Bluebeard” fairy tale.Class Discussion: Begin with the hallmarks of the fairy tale genre, and its historical andcontemporary significance, as discussed in Betts’s introduction. How is “Bluebeard” a cautionarytale for women in patriarchal societies? A quest story? How and why do stories about bestial menresonate for modern readers, both men and women?Writing Assignment: Write a 500-600 word paper (one scholarly source) on any of the followingtopics: (1) the fairy tale genre and its origins, and how “Bluebeard” exemplifies it; (2)“Bluebeard” as a contemporary cautionary tale; (3) curiosity as an heroic trait.

Angela Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber”Assignment: Read Angela Carter’s short story, “The Bloody Chamber.”Class Discussion: In what ways does Carter draw directly from the “Bluebeard” fairy tale and inwhat ways does she depart from it? (Voice is the first obvious answer, the fairy tale’s thirdperson and Carter’s first person.) How is the actual journey in the story emblematic of all queststories? Why does Carter think the Beast, in this case the “groom,” is necessary for the girl’sself-actualization?Writing Assignment: Write a précis. Write an 800-word paper (2-3 scholarly sources) on any ofthe following topics: (1) Carter’s use of foreshadowing and its significance to the quest; (2)Carter’s feminist vision of the quest; (3) Carter’s use of symbols, such as the necklace, and thecolor red, and their significance to the archetypal dimensions of the story; (4) the shedding ofblood in all quest stories.

Catherine Breillat’s “Bluebeard”Assignment: After a class screening of the film, write a two paragraph description of“Bluebeard,” noting characters, setting, point-of-view, plot and theme. (If possible, this should be an in-class assignment so that first reactions to the movie may be compared to later opinionsexpressed in a longer paper.)Class discussion: Why does Breillat recount the Bluebeard fairy tale from the point of view oftwo sisters in contemporary times, as well as in an historical setting? What is Marie-Catherine’squest? What leitmotifs are apparent throughout the film? How do they inform our understandingof the story?Writing Assignment: Write a 1000-word paper (3-4 sources) on any of the following topics: (1)The use of foreshadowing in “The Bloody Chamber” and in Breillat’s film; (2) Choose aleitmotif in the film, an object, a color, etc., and discuss its significance in Marie-Catherine’squest; (3) the girl hero as archetypal hero; (4) Contemplating all three sources, speculate on therole of fairy tales in the formation of feminine identity.

Teaching Notes:On Availability of texts: Both Christopher Betts’s translation of Perrault and Angela Carter’sshort story collection are in paperback. Breillat’s film (in French with English subtitles) isavailable on Region 1 DVD and streaming. College libraries may have Carter, but Betts’stranslation of Perrault is harder to find; both are in paperback. Electronic versions of the latter donot always have the wonderful Gustave Doré drawings that appear in this edition, which may bethe basis of class discussions, as the artist has influenced the production design of films based onfairy tales.On Perrault: American students are generally not familiar with this author’s collection of fairytales, and Betts’s translation is not only excellent, his introduction is a scholarly essay.On curiosity: At the start of this lesson, students are most interested in the issue of whether or not“too much” curiosity can lead to danger, the result of one of the morals that appears after CharlesPerrault’s “Bluebeard” fairy tale. It is at this point that the instructor might ask students todescribe some new path they have forged recently, which is causing them anxiety—a new courseof study, living on campus, making friends with people who are exposing them to newexperiences, or taking their first trip abroad. (All of these are driven by the need to experienceand to know.) It is always surprising to me the extent of class discussion necessary beforestudents can view the bride in “Bluebeard” as anything other than greedy or foolish. Untilstudents read Angela Carter’s story, it is difficult for them to fathom the bride as engaged in aquest for identity. Only upon completion of this lesson may there be an understanding of theheroic personality, the intense desire to know—the excess curiosity warning implicit in“Bluebeard”—as the first step toward consciousness and meaning.On male bestiality: Since the Beast, the transformative figure in the hero’s life, is almost alwaysa male in feminine quest stories, and Carter and Breillat present a feminist perspective to theencounter with the Beast, it is important to emphasize that in Perrault, Carter and Breillat, theBeast is a psychopath, a serial murderer, the most extreme form of male bestiality. As fairy tales,all are cautionary tales for girls and women, and so this exaggeration is almost a narrativeimperative. Upon the first reading of the fairy tale, it is necessary to present a clear definition ofpatriarchy (in Cinematic Quests for Identity, see page 3 of the “Introduction” for one from GerdaLerner), and to discuss the vulnerability of women in patriarchal societies. This will deflect themost literal interpretation of feminist texts, that men alone are to blame for women’s subjugation;it will also broaden students’ understanding of the implications for women of a Darwinianworldview. (See page 3 of “Introduction.”)On the approach in film and literature classes: In my film classes, I generally reverse the orderof this lesson plan, and begin with Breillat’s “Bluebeard,” sending my students to Perrault nextand then to Carter. Although Carter’s short story may seem outside the realm of a film class, itsequally feminist perspective and its rich tapestry of symbols make it an excellent source fordiscussing cinematic leitmotifs. Also, since it is another adaptation of the fairy tale, it may beused as a primary source in student papers. In literature into film classes, instructors should teachto their strengths; the lesson can be taught as it appears here, or as I use it in film classes.Generally, the order as it appears here is better for undergrads.